Circumcision ritual honors childrenText and Photos by Filomena Reiss SUKABUMI, West Java (JP): Circumcision is one of the most
important rites of passage in Indonesian Muslim communities, and
a time for great celebration. More ...

'I'd love to go skiing', Herawati beams One of the first female journalists in Indonesia, 83-year-old
Herawati Diah has worked for various media, including Merdeka
daily, which was set up by her late husband, former minister of
information B.M Diah. More ...

Getting help for depression is part of the treatmentBy Rikza Abdullah JAKARTA (JP): The good news is that therapy is successful for
80 percent of people suffering from depression in the country who
seek help. More ...

Mideast crisis may cloud IPU meeting JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid is due to open the
104th conference of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) this
evening under the cloud of the Middle East crisis. More ...

'Dangdut' music is a gold mine for local television stationsBy Mohammad Yazid JAKARTA (JP): Do you want to sing a note with Indonesian
singers and get Rp 1 million? Just join the live television
karaoke show Laris Manis, every Wednesday night on SCTV. Your
voice is not sweet? No problem. More ...

Seeing the unseen beyond an imageBy Lim Tri Santosa BANDUNG (JP): In the information age, the eyes are really
taking a beating. Our society has become so visual, we
practically use our eyes for everything we do. More ...

Home Movies JAKARTA (JP): Unlike films in many other categories in which
the number of hits and misses is usually equal, movies in the
serial killer subgenre are usually well-crafted and successful. More ...

Depression rises as crisis drags on Feeling blue? In a funk? Join the crowd -- many people are
feeling the stress of living in uncertain times. For some,
it can mean a bout of severe depression. More ...

Now Showing Center Stage. (Drama, 115 minutes). Starring Amanda Schull,
Ethan Stiefel, Zoe Saldana, Susan May Pratt, Sascha Radetsky.
Directed by Nicholas Hytner.The film portrays a group of teenagers struggling to make a
name for themselves in a professional dance company. More ...

Does a new party always mean a new outfit? JAKARTA (JP): Picture this. You have the invitation in your
hand, a perfect date and a great party to attend, but what you're
doing is grumbling over your far-from-empty closet, complaining
that you have nothing to wear. More ...

Guess What? Moh. Mahfud M.D. Less than two months after being appointed Minister of
Defense, Moh. Mahfud M.D. had been disturbed by two mysterious
letters.The first one was sent directly to his wife, Zaizatun
Nihayati, a week after he was sworn in in August. More ...

Guess What? Bagong Kussudiardja In Javanese culture, ular-ular, or wedding advice, is usually
delivered by the bride's father. But noted choreographer Bagong
Kussudiardja, 67, wanted something different for his second
marriage as he assigned his son, Butet Kartaredjasa to do the
job."... More ...

Five kilos of gold robbed JAKARTA (JP): Police are looking for eight men who made off
with five kilograms of gold in an early morning robbery at the
shop-house of a gold trader on Jl. K.H. Hasyim Ashari in Ciledug,
Tangerang, on Saturday.Tangerang Police chief Supt. More ...

IM Texmaco moves step closer to finals berth BANDUNG (JP): Jakarta-based Indonesia Muda (IM) Texmaco needs
one more victory to secure its place in the final round of the
Kobatama national basketball league after winning its fourth-leg
opening match against Surabaya-based Pacific Caesar 104-88 ... More ...

Futuristic fashion designer takes audience to heavenBy Asniar Sahab JAKARTA (JP): Fashion designer Didi Budiharjo has seen much of
the world but found his own country the best. The rich local
culture is now the major source of the inspiration that has
resulted in his spreading fame. More ...

Attorney general to examine findings on Tanjung Priok deaths JAKARTA (JP): Attorney General Marzuki Darusman said on
Saturday his office would examine the findings of the National
Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM)'s investigation into the
1984 Tanjung Priok incident. More ...

Oracle 9i, the perfect tool to boost e-business E-business is really heating up these days and software firms
are making every effort to grab market share. Oracle OpenWorld
2000, a celebration of Oracle technology, was held in San
Francisco, earlier this month. The Jakarta Post's T. More ...

A day with a satay vendor from Madura Muhamad Sukur, 47, has been selling chicken satay for about 20
years. He was born in Bangkalan, Madura island, East Java, and
now lives in Petamburan, Central Jakarta, with his wife Munayah
and their four sons. More ...

Abdurrahman admits to meeting Tommy JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid confirmed on
Saturday that he met with Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra, but
quickly refuted suggestions that he had made a deal to review
the 18-month jail sentence handed down to Tommy. More ...

Does your computer make you a geek? SAN FRANCISCO (JP): Working for hours and hours before the
computer makes you a bespectacled geek without any fashion taste,
no social life, no girlfriend or boyfriend - you are nothing but
a boring nerd. More ...

Physics and mystics, cycles of space and timeBy Rahayu Ratnaningsih JAKARTA (JP): My fixation with physics and mysticism has
brought me this far in the series of musings on the absurdity of
time. More ...

Pasta more than a plate of spaghetti JAKARTA (JP): Chef Gabriele Noe is in the know about what
makes a good plate of pasta.The Venice native said there was something lacking in a meal
if diners did not chow down on pasta, as well as bread, in his
homeland. More ...

Poor West Irian! I am serious; I have a dream that one day I can see and taste
the snow of Irian Jaya. Maybe it tastes different than the snow
in Norway or in Holland or in Japan. I really do not know and I
have not met anybody who has that silly idea. More ...

Local designers to hold annual fashion show JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Fashion Designers Council (IPMI)
will stage its 15th annual trend show from Oct. 16 to Oct. 20 at
the Bidakara complex in South Jakarta. More ...

Everyday stories of living with HIV Kerlap-Kerlip Mozaik: Berjuang Hidup dengan HIV; (A
Glittering Mosaic: Struggles of Living with HIV); By Putu Oka
Sukanta; Yogyakarta: Yayasan Galang & Ford Foundation, 2000 JAKARTA (JP): Even though the first AIDS case was found in the
country 13 years ago, ... More ...

'Ludruk' in sorry state amidst gleaming urban entertainmentBy Gin Kurniawan and Christanto W. SURABAYA (JP): This folk art is suffering a really tragic
fate. It is on the brink of extinction, to be abandoned for good
by the community who actually gave birth to and nurtured it in
the first place. More ...

Destiny Climbing over a high mountain
Swimming in a deep sea
Running on a long road
Flying over a wide skyAll aloneThe past I remember
The present I see
The future I expectAll doneMy destiny
I live with it
I cry with it
I smile with itAll doneAll destiny -- By Nadiah ... More ...

JubirBy Sori Siregar He has a meager salary. But his income is more than enough. He
has been living this way for years. Actually there is nothing
weird about that. The majority of people are living in this same
pattern. People not from here will never understand this reality. More ...

On the records Album: Living In The Present Future (Universal Music
Indonesia/2000); Artist : Eagle-Eye Cherry His father is jazz icon Don Cherry and his step-sister is pop,
funk-hop singer Neneh Cherry. More ...

Unicef's boss fights to help humanityBy Mehru Jaffer JAKARTA (JP): When Rolf C. Carriere especially asked to come
here as head of Unicef Indonesia, he was aware that half the
population of the country's 210 million people lives in extreme
poverty with high maternal mortality rate and many ... More ...

Kalimantan villagers plait their life with 'purun' leavesText and photos by Ali Budiman AMUNTAI, South Kalimantan (JP): Villages with their wooden
houses on stilts sprawl along both sides of the Tabalong River
and the Balagan River, which cut through Amuntai, Hulu Sungai
Utara regency, South ... More ...

The Internet takes business away from the post officeBy Kafil Yamin BANDUNG (JP): Dewantara, who runs an English college here, has
more regular contact with his family in Germany these days,
thanks to the presence of the Internet in his life. More ...